T. Greenwood's "Everything Has Happened"

T. Greenwood grew up in rural Vermont in the 1970s. She began writing stories at seven years old and wrote her first "novel" at nine on her dad's electric typewriter.

Since then, she has published sixteen novels. She has received grants from the Sherwood Anderson Foundation, the Christopher Isherwood Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Maryland State Arts Council. She has won three San Diego Book Awards. Five of her novels have been Indie Next picks. Bodies of Water was finalist for a Lambda Foundation award, and Keeping Lucy was a Target Book Club Pick.

Here Greenwood dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Everything Has Happened:

I have been told before that my writing is cinematic, and I think that comes from my deep love of movies. (I often say that in another life, I would have studied film in college.) When I write a novel, I approach each scene like a cinematographer - with a keen eye for detail and physical nuance, with vivid descriptions that help place readers in the moment. I try to create work that provides a sensory experience for the reader rather than a cerebral one.

I don't "cast" my novels per se, but after the novel is done, I often dream about who would play the characters in a film version of the book.

Everything Has Happened is a dual timeline literary mystery about a little boy who goes missing in 1986. The story is narrated by his older sister, Edie, both in the months leading up to his disappearance and nearly forty years later when the cold case is reopened. But in addition to being a mystery, the novel is also a sapphic love story about two young women at the precipice of their lives, and how the secrets they keep change their respective trajectories forever.

Edie Marshall, the narrator, is seventeen in 1986. She's a runner and an aspiring poet obsessed with Sylvia Plath. She comes from a traditional, middle-class family, her mother a pediatric nurse, and her father a carpenter. Trillium Jenkins (Trill) is new to school their senior year, the daughter of counter-culture parents, now living with her mother and older brother, Jericho, on the grounds of a defunct commune. Trill cracks Edie's world wide-open. She is magic. But just as Edie is exploring who she is and who she might be outside the confines of this small town, her little brother disappears, and Trill's brother, Jericho, is the only suspect.

Here is my dream cast for the main roles:

Young Edie: Odessa A'zion

Adult Edie: Pamela Adlon (A'zion's real-life mom!)

Young Trill: Maya Hawke

Adult Trill: Uma Thurman (Hawke's real-life mom!)

Jericho Jenkins: Jesse Plemons (Maybe makeup could make him both young and older.)

Visit Tammy Greenwood's website.

My Book, The Movie: Rust and Stardust.

The Page 69 Test: Rust and Stardust.

Writers Read: T. Greenwood (August 2019).

The Page 69 Test: Keeping Lucy.

My Book, The Movie: Keeping Lucy.

Q&A with T. Greenwood.

The Page 69 Test: Such a Pretty Girl.

My Book, The Movie: The Still Point.

--Marshal Zeringue

Jennifer Pearson's "Drop Dead Famous"

Jennifer Pearson is a former teacher and author who lives in the northeast of England with two energetic boys and her somewhat energetic husband. She’s the author of several middle grade novels, writing as Jenny Pearson, and has been short-listed for the Costa Children’s Book Award and the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, and was the winner of the Lollies (Laugh Out Loud Book Awards). When she’s not writing, Pearson can either be found doing something sporty or binge-watching true crime documentaries while eating astounding quantities of cheese.

Here Pearson dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, Drop Dead Famous:

In Drop Dead Famous, global popstar Blair Baker is murdered during her triumphant hometown show. The world is shaken but for her younger sister Stevie, it’s deeply personal. What starts as a search for answers pulls Stevie into the dark, toxic side of fame, where secrets, lies, and betrayal hit closer to home than she ever expected.

When I was writing Stevie, I had Emily Hampshire who plays Stevie Budd in Schitt’s Creek in my mind, but as she’s even older than me, so, unfortunately, I don’t think I can cast her in the role. Instead, I’d go for Jessica Barden. Stevie needs someone who can balance vulnerability with an offbeat edge, and Barden excels at exactly that. Known for her ability to portray complex, emotionally layered characters, shecould capture Stevie’s inner struggles and sharp wit effortlessly.

Colby brings the spark of fun and energy that keeps the story from getting too heavy. That’s why McKenna Grace is such a strong fit. She has a natural charm and quickness that would highlight Colby’s lighter, more playful side, while still grounding her in real emotion.

Blair needs star power and someone who understands fame, image, and the pressure that comes with it. While Drop Dead Famous was inspired by Taylor Swift’s Eras tour, I think Miley Cyrus would make a great Blair as she would bring a more rebellious, unpredictable energy, highlighting Blair’s chaotic or emotionally raw edges.

Ted McGinley’s recent work in Shrinking shows exactly why he’d be such a strong Frank. He excels as showing the protective, loving father. And Katie Lowes who recently played Jill in Hunting Wives would make a great Marnie. She nails that southern accent and would bring wit, warmth and a bit of edge to the Stevie’s mom.

Noah Jupe has built a reputation for delivering emotionally mature performances, and that makes him an ideal Oliver. Oliver’s role likely requires quiet strength, and Jupe could bring that in a way that feels natural and compelling.

Jharrel Jerome is a standout choice for Trent not just because of his acting ability, but because of his presence. He has a distinctive, expressive look that naturally draws attention on screen which is perfect for a character like Trent. Beyond that, Jerome’s background in music adds another layer to his casting.

For Blair’s manager, I’d choose Jon Hamm. He naturally gives off that smooth, powerful, industry-insider vibe, but can easily layer in arrogance and sleaze. He’d make Kirk feel like someone who’s been controlling careers for decades.

Visit Jenny Pearson's website.

--Marshal Zeringue

April Howells's "The Unforgettable Mailman"

With a background in magazine publishing, April Howells has built a career in global communications and employer branding. Raised in southern Ontario, she now resides on the west coast of Canada with her husband and a Greater Swiss Mountain Dog named Chief.

The Unforgettable Mailman is her debut novel.

Here Howells dreamcasts an adaptation of the new novel:

If The Unforgettable Mailman got optioned for a movie, I would cast Harrison Ford as Henry. (Please say yes, Harrison!) I can picture him bringing the humour and determination of Henry to the role, capturing hearts the same way he has in Shrinking and the Indiana Jones franchise.

I’d also cast Morgan Freeman as Stan, Henry’s close friend and confidante. Morgan Freeman was a substitute letter carrier in San Francisco in 1965, and it would be amazing to have him revive that role on screen.

I didn’t have either actor in mind while writing. My characters are so fully themselves in my mind, I never see them as anyone else. But, if I’m allowed to dream, this is my all-star cast.

I often hear from readers that they think it would make a wonderful film and I wholeheartedly agree. Plus, the Old Chicago Post Office is a rentable building now! I wonder if Steven Spielberg is looking to take on another 60s film inspired by true events?

Visit April Howells's website.

Q&A with April Howells.

--Marshal Zeringue

Helen Benedict's "The Soldier's House"

Helen Benedict, a British-American professor of journalism at Columbia University, is the author of nine novels, six books of nonfiction, and a play.

Here she dreamcasts an adaptation of her new novel, The Soldier's House:

I've always imagined The Soldier's House as a play or a movie, set, as it is, in a house and community in upstate New York, with flashbacks to Iraq. The three main characters in the novel are Naema, an Iraqi widow; Khalil, her husband, who appears in flashbacks before he is killed; and Jimmy, an American soldier.

Even though Riz Ahmed isn't Iraqi, or even an Arab, he would be a perfect Khalil: handsome, charismatic, deeply kind and yet determined. I would also love to see the Irish actor Paul Macal play Jimmy Donnell, if he can do a good American accent. But most important of all would be who play Naema. My choice is the Moroccan actor, Oumaima Barid, whose beauty, intelligence and intensity match those of Naema.

But there is one more principal character, too: Tariq, Naema's little one-legged son, who is full of life, curiosity and bravado. I have no idea who could play him, but all suggestions welcome.

Visit Helen Benedict's website.

My Book, The Movie: Sand Queen.

The Page 69 Test: Sand Queen.

The Page 69 Test: Wolf Season.

Q&A with Helen Benedict.

The Page 69 Test: The Good Deed.

--Marshal Zeringue

Garrett Curbow's "Whispers of Ink and Starlight"

Garrett Curbow is the author of Whispers of Ink and Starlight and the Daughter of Light trilogy, which was short-listed for the Publishers Weekly Selfies Award. He lives in Savannah, Georgia.

Here Curbow dreamcasts an adaptation of Whispers of Ink and Starlight:

We have made it to the future and Whispers of Ink and Starlight is being adapted into a film! Yay! In this fictitious reality, I, the author, get total executive control over who will direct this adaptation and which actors will star in it.

Whispers of Ink and Starlight is a coming-of-age, literary romance with a heavy dash of magical realism. It follows Nelle, a young woman written into life, and her relationship with James, a young man from a small town in Georgia, as they juggle the independence of adulthood and Nelle’s magical drawbacks.

For the director, I would hire Greta Gerwig. Coming off the tails of Barbie (2023), Little Women (2019), and the upcoming The Chronicles of Narnia adaptation, I want her directorial vision more than anyone else’s. Whispers of Ink and Starlight is a dangerous novel to adapt because it travels fluidly between genres. If someone tries to make a romantic drama out of it, or if they ignore the romance in favor of the magic system, they will lose the heart of the book.

It’s important to hire a director that has illustrated in the past that they can execute a unique, singular vision. Barbie is a perfect example of this. While tonally different from Whispers of Ink and Starlight, if any other writer or director had tried to make Barbie, they would have failed. Gerwig is skilled at balancing writing that contradicts visuals, and does so in a style that makes both elements shine together. I trust her to understand the breath and life of this book, and to translate it from page to screen.

There are three main roles that I want to discuss. The first two, James and Nelle, are arguably the most important and, therefore, the most difficult to cast.

For Nelle, I would cast Mckenna Grace. She is a talented actor who has been working since she was a child, and as a young adult now, she would be the right age to play Nelle. More than any other actors in this age group, I think she would be able to pull off Nelle’s fire, her strength, and her thirst for life.

James is harder for me to cast. Ideally, I would find a time traveling device, go back to 2004, and hire a young Milo Ventimiglia, the actor who played Jess in Gilmore Girls. He has the perfect look for James, and he would bring a layer to the character that would be exciting to see on-screen. In reality, I would love to cast an unknown actor to play James.

The third role is Wallace Quill, Nelle’s father. For this role, I would cast none other than Penn Badgley (Dan from Gossip Girl, Joe Goldberg from You). No one else could switch between Quill’s bone-chilling stare and charismatic smile in the blink of an eye like him.

Now that we have a director and our lead actors locked down, I can’t wait for the world to see my book, the movie.

Visit Garrett Curbow's website.

Q&A with Garrett Curbow.

Writers Read: Garrett Curbow.

The Page 69 Test: Whispers of Ink and Starlight.

--Marshal Zeringue